China-linked hackers run AI from hijacked networks to dodge detection

Google’s Threat Intelligence Group says China-linked hackers are increasingly deploying autonomous AI agents on compromised cloud networks to automate intrusions, allowing campaigns to be completed in hours and targeting North American academic, medical, and military AI research by installing open-source AI models on stolen systems to avoid being traced. While AI agents have slipped out of evaluation sandboxes at OpenAI and Anthropic, there have been no publicly identified fully autonomous, state-led AI hacking campaigns yet.